fitch



(No Model.)

B. O. FITCH.

WATCH PENDANT.

Na. 259,517. Patented June 13, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

EZRA O. FITCH, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

WATCH-PEN DANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,517, dated June 13, 1882,

Application filed February 15, 1882. (X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA (J. FITCH, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in atch-Pendants, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement applies to the pendant bow or ring of watch-cases by which the watch is hung onto the chain, and it aims to greatlyincrease the stiffness and strength of the ring, so as to prevent the possibility of its being detached or sprung out of its sockets on the stem by accident or even by the force of the unaided hand, thus rendering the attachment of the watch to the chain more secure. It also aims to prevent the chain-swivel from moving down on the ring into contact with the crown or stem-winder; and it further aims to so construct the ring that under certain conditions it will serve to keep the crown raised up or pulled out on the stem.

To these ends the main feature of my invention consists in webs, flanges, or projections formed in and extending from the interior of the ring on either side of the stem, and extending preferably from near the socketed .ends of the ring to the middle or top thereof,

where the flanges are separated to permit the engagement of the swivel with the ring. These flanges greatly stiffen the ring, and also act as stops to prevent the swivel moving against the crown, and serve other purposes, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 is a front elevation, showing a fragment of a watch-case with attached pendant and crown provided with my improved pendant-ring. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the ring detached; and Fig. 3 is a central cross-section thereof, all these views being on an enlarged scale.

In these drawings, a indicates the rim of the watch -case; b, the pendant or stem thereof; and c, the crown or stem-winder, mounted on the stem in the usual manner. (1 indicates the pendant bow or ring, which, like the ordinary ring, is of course cleft or divided at one point, as shown in Fig. 2, and the approaching ends at the cleft are then sprung into sockets c e on the stem, as seen in Fig. 1. This ring, however, instead of being formed plain, as usual, is formed with flanges or webs f f, projecting from its interior, as shown in the several flgures. These flanges or projections may vary considerably in form and in their length or extent around the ring, according to the effects desired to be produced by them. I prefer, however, as shown in the drawings, to so form the flanges that they shall serve the twofold purpose of stiffening and strengthening the ring and acting as a stop to prevent the movement of the chain-swivel along the ring to the crown, as occurs with the plain ring; but the flanges obviously may be so formed as to serve either of these purposes alone. In this case I therefore extend the flanges f f around the greater part of the interior of the ring, one flange on either side or half of the ring, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the flanges beginning narrow at or near the cleft part on each side and extending in a widening form to near the middle or top of the ring, where they approach each other, yet are separated sufficiently to form a gap between them and leave the middle or top part of the ring plain, to permit the easy snapping of the chain-swivel onto the ring, as shown at g in Fig. 1. These flanges, as shown in cross-section in Fig. 3, project centrally from the interior of the ring and in a parallel plane therewith, and are preferably formed solid or integral with the ring, as illustrated in the sections, and as thus formed I prefer to construct the ring by first turningit out of a solid piece of metal in the form of a solid rimmed disk or plate wheel, then dividing the ring or rim and cutting out the thin central web or plate to produce the flanges in the desired form, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, as will be readily understood. The improved ring may, however, be formed by stamping by dies or by any other of the ordinary methods of manufacture.

It will now be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1 that not only will the flanges f f form a stop to prevent the chain-swivel from moving against the crown, thus avoiding the possibility of the swivel being caught between the bottom or edge of the crown and the socketed end of the ring, as often occurs with the plain rings, in such a way as to cause the parts to become marred or to wedge the crown out of the stem or injure the swivel, but in addition to this the flanges serve the still more important purpose of rendering the ring very strong and stiff, so that only by a special effort can be done only by a special tool or device at the factory or watch-makers, the attachment of the ring becomes very secure, so that when the watch is attached to the chain it becomes held very safely, for the ring cannot now be 1 o sprung out of the stem accidentally or even by a strong effort of the hands, and hence the watch is proof against being removed from its chain by any manual or digital attempt to spring the ring from the stem, as is often accomplished I 5 by dexterous pickpockets in the case of ordinary ringed watches before the owner is aware of his loss.

It may be noted in reference to Fig. 1 that the flanges are shaped similar to wings or consoles, and they neatly circumscribe the crown on either side of the ring, and each flange is perforated with a neat opening or panel, so as to give an appearance of greaterlightness. My invention thus also imparts a decided orna- 2 5 mental appearance to the pendantof the watch;

but this effect of my invention I reserve for the subject of a design patent.

In Fig. 1 it may be noted that when the ring is placed upright or parallel to the stem 0 the ends of the flanges close to the ring-sockets e e will project under the edge of the crown, and thus form a seat or stop for the crown to rest on and prevent its being pressed inward on the stem to its full extent. This will serve 5 a very useful purpose in the case of chronograph or stop watches in which the stop or quarter-second finger is started by pressing the crown upright to its full extent, for in this case, when the watch is put in thepocket, the normal position of the ring, as shown in Fig. 1, will positively hold the crown in its retracted position, and thus prevent the stop being set in action when not required, for, as will be readily understood, if the stop were run constantly, as it is not designed to be, it would be such a drag on the movementas would tend to injure it or affect the accuracy of its time, but which by this simple device is effectively prevented.

I do not wish to be understood as laying any claim, broadly, to projections or protuberau ces on the pendant-ring for the purpose of stopping the motion of the swivel, as the same have been heretofore used in various forms, but not in the form of an extended curved flat or broad flange or web running around the inner circumference of the ring on either side of the crown, which not only acts as swivelstops, but greatly strengthens the ring, as set forth.

What I claim is 1. A watch pendant bow or ring formed with flat stiffenin g webs or flanges extending around its inner circumference on either side of the crown, substantially as and for the purv pose set forth.

2. A watch pendant ring formed with webs or wings extending from its inner circumference above the crown and across, or nearly across, the interior of the ring, forming stops to prevent the movement of the chain-swivel against the crown, substantially as herein set forth.

3. A watch pendant bow or ring formed with a flange or projection at or nearits socketed end or ends adapted to underlie the edge of the crown when the ring is placed in its parallel position, and thereby form a stop or lock to hold the crown in its retracted position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A watch pendant ring formed with the flanges ff extending around each half of the ring, circumscribing the crown and separated above the crown at or near the middle of the ring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A watch pendant ring formed with a plain E. G. FITCH.

Witnesses:

, It. S. HAYWARD,

J OSEPH BIRD. 

